Settlement Ends 2-Day Strike on Long Island Commuter Line

A nearly 2-day-old strike at the nation’s largest commuter railroad was settled Saturday night, officials announced.

Long Island Rail Road trains are expected to be running on time for Monday morning’s rush hour, Metropolitan Transportation Authority head Peter Stangl said.

“There was no concession on the work rules and we paid the ransom,” Stangl said. “I made the decision that I would pay the ransom before it got bad out there.”

Stangl, federal mediator Ernest DuBester and union chairman Ed Yule announced the resolution at a news conference Saturday night.

Union leaders agreed to a three-year contract that will expire at the end of 1994.

It provides for retroactive raises of 2.5%, 2.5% and 3.5% per year with no work-rule changes, said Sam Zambuto, a spokesman for the LIRR.

The raises will be compounded so that the total pay increase for workers will be 8.7% for the three-year period ending in December, Zambuto added.

About 2,300 conductors, track workers and motormen struck shortly after midnight Friday when talks broke off in the 2 1/2-year contract dispute.

Management had offered a 12% wage increase over four years; the United Transportation Union had wanted a 17% raise.

Gov. Mario M. Cuomo served as a go-between during the negotiations. On Saturday, he urged the two sides to reach an agreement, saying the inconvenience to riders outweighed the issues being fought over.

The LIRR is the nation’s largest commuter railroad, with 254,000 average weekday fares. Most come from the 103,000 people who ride in and out of New York City during rush hours.